Best care for my trigger finger has come from my family practice doc. HIs skills and knowledge are completely sufficient, and he takes a little more time, pays a little more attention than specialist such as an orthopedist, even though rheumatologist (excellent physician, this is not a complaint) seems concerned about PCP doing this work for me. I’ve had more in 2nd, 3rd, 4th fingers, on an off since early 1990’s — long before RA diagnosis circa 2003.

Keyboard work was definitely an aggravating factor to most occurrences. Family doctor is nearer to my home and more accessible and less costly than specialist for care.

So many crazy things with ra/rd I have had issues with my elbow it happened gradually and I must have adapted until I went and seen a new dr and he asked how long my arm had been contracted like that? My arm was parallel to my body and I had not even noticed. I responded really well to steroids and was able to reverse it. I hope u have the same luck.

Are you saying that the locked fists I wake up with many mornings is trigger finger?

I was diagnosed with RD in 2008. During flares my hands are tightly balled fists when I wake up and it takes some work to get them loose and open. It feels as if the knuckles are locked in place. I’ve mentioned this to my rheumy before and they didn’t seem to care much about it.

I have it in both thumbs, so far injections in both, 2 on my writing hand. I wear braces at night and during the day if they feel like they are ‘acting up’. I have 3 different sets of braces for my hands/wrists – for differing occasions of pain levels. It gets old in a hurry, for sure.

I got the official RA/RD diagnosis April 21, 2014.. just 3 years ago! So fairly new to all of this!! I did have a trigger finger before that and thankfully it cleared on its on.. however I still have that achey feeling at the base of that finger and worry it will start up again!!
So many things to be concerned about and nobody to talk to!!
God bless you for all you are doing!!
Without you out there, where would the RA/RD Community be!!!
Take care of yourself and Roo!!!
Been praying for you all!!!
Ginger in Ky❤️

What a timely article for me as my left palm is full of corded knots. The rheumatologist refused to inject my hand this week stating that the structure is so tight that if he pierced it with a needle to inject it could tear the tendon resulting a emergent surgery vs. the planned surgery he wants me to have. I also have carpal tunnel syndrome in both hands. I am going to bypass my scardy-cat Rheumatologist and see my ortho for injection evaluation. I do not make a good surgical patient due to diabetes.

This topic is so timely for me! I spent 2015 with trigger finger and had no idea what to do! I saw the primary and had X-rays and said that it was due to arthritis, gave me a NSAID. Done…In 2016, an NP suggested that I see a Rheumatologist (pos ACCP). The rheumatologist said that it was due to arthritis. Yesterday, my new Rheumatologist said, “oh that’s trigger finger”. By the way, he spent two hours with me and is re-evaluating me for RA. I was diagnosed last year but want a second opinion after my experiences with Dr. Do-little, I I . This is my favorite site and it has helped me cope! Thank you!

Hi all,
I have just been recently diagnosed with this fun disease. 2 years ago I woke up and there were huge lumps on my hands. Very odd. No pain. I thought I popped something playing with my dog. (yes I’m serious) Then my whole hands blew up and I couldn’t use them! yikes! So I went to my primary Dr. and she said, “boy you get some strange stuff happen to you”. yup. so she had no damn idea what was wrong with me. prednisone. That made me just feel awful. I went back to her and told her what it was doing to me and she said, hmmm… can you pee in this cup? Sure, why not. Off I went. Now, my symptoms were, constant urination, extremely blurred vision, and last but not least I couldn’t stay awake. I hit a car because I fell asleep while sitting in traffic. Ok. so she come back into the room and says welp you are diabetic! WHAT?! How? UGH!! Still have no idea why I cannot use my hands mind you. So off to the endo I go. Got all kinds of neat meds. Yikes. Oh and she took blood to test for all kinds of fun stuff. One of the tests was RA. Came back negative. Cool. She suggests I go to see an ortho for carpal tunnel. k. he sends me for all kinds of neat tests. Says you need surgery. uh no. He says but I want you to see a Rheumatologist first to rule out RA because if you have that then that’s probably what is causing all of this inflammation. k. Go see RA doc. He tests me for RA too but says it’s just a formality because you are text book. k. Here goes more meds. I was so overwhelmed I was in tears when I left that office. I was 48 years old and called my mother crying! After she calmed me down I realized I can do this. I am 50 now and boy let me tell you, God is testing me! I am at my wits end. Methotrexate caused issues with my liver. Now I have a liver specialist. oi. I am now on orencia and am in the middle of a huge long lasting flare. Everything in my body hurts. Joints I didn’t even know I had are hurting. Fat little fingers. Still have to work though because, well, bills don’t pay themselves. So here I am today changing my whole life to get rid of this God awful disease as well as diabetes. I am changing my diet, because of course I’m fat. I am have been listening to pod casts and learning what to eat and how to be healthy. So here goes another journey!!

To my RD friends I have found an amazing product made from Kannaway.
The CBD Oil sauve starts to reduce my inflammation in 15 minutes or less. It can’t fix our joint destruction, but it helps with inflammation anywhere on your body. Trigger fingers do not happen since staring this product. Please look into this Kannaway Company…it’s amazing. Please DM for more information.

O my goodness I just happened on this site and I’m thrilled!’ U r all talking about me!!! I thought I was just weird!! I feel so validated!!!! RA Dr. and pain management along w/ many many many injections in hands for trigger finger all 10! ? But it has kept me going! But the blurred vision , the constant need to pee(sorry) and some of the other symptoms I had no idea were related! My Dr. has never associated all my symptoms to RA! Although she’s the one who diagnosed! Go figure! Now I feel rather stupid not doing some research myself! As I stated I’ve had injections to many to count and doc wants to do surgery , so I’m wondering if any of u have had the surgery and ur experiences,recovery time ,and did it help! So very very happy I found this site!! Thank u all for sharing!! So wonderful to know I’m not alone and not loosing my mind thinking it’s just me!! GOD BLESS EACH AND EVERYONE ONE OF U !!❤️

My trigger finger is always just swollen up like a balloon and can’t extend out straight or make a fist. And the radiating pain makes it hard to hold a pen or carry heavy objects.

My first trigger finger was at age 16. Two steroid shots and surgery fixed it…for 2 years. Then another round of shots and another surgery to completely cut the tendon. Biopsy shows tissue had rheumatoid factor. Rheumatologist said no way I have RD. Fast forward another 4 years to the age of 22 and another trigger finger surgery. Once again, biopsy shows rheumatoid factor. That is how I was diagnosed 7 years ago. My bloodwork has never shown a positive RF but those two surgery biopsy did, and I have all the symptoms.

I was diagnosed with RA/RD March 2017. Mine started with both left and right Carpal Tunnel syndrome. I had the release surgery done and was overwhelmed with how great the results were. I had so much pain with CT. I couldn’t sleep for more than an hour straight. I kept getting up to shake my hands and arms out to no real relief. Daytime was difficult, too.

As I was healing my hand surgeon noticed a lump on the top of my left hand. It was very painful, but I thought it must have something to do with my surgical healing, perhaps extra pressure was put on the top of my hand while the doctor did my Carpal Tunnel Release surgery. He detected it as synovitis and suggested I see a Rheumatologist asap. I did and here I am now with a disease I never had heard of before. I also acquired 3 trigger fingers within a few weeks. Steroid shots have helped them a lot.

I have lots of other stiff going on, but I’ll stick to the topic here regarding hands.
Thank you for your very informative website! Blessings to all.

I had 5 trigger fingers on my left hand released about 8 years ago and just had 2 injected on my right hand a month ago. It has help. I have had 4 knee replacements and a hip. My hands and feet are bad. I’ve had w shoulder surgeries for impingements. My back and neck as well as elbows are very painful. I’ve had numerous back and neck injections. I am on narcotics to allow me to keep moving.I’m on simponi and Arava. I also have fibromyalgia. My breathing has gotten much worse and I am told will continue to do so. I also have IBS, another autoimmune disease. Don’t know what else can fail!

I’ve had ra since 4 years now. First discovered and in my right hand in my index finger which took me awhile to find out that it was RA. Finger feels like it keeps getting worst can’t take the pain anymore seriously thinking about surgery does anybody have any ideas? did anybody do it ? how did it go? Let me know thanks god bless you all..

I am having trigger finger surgery on Monday 12/18! My middle finger is horrible and I am hoping for relief. Interesting enough, my blood work shows inflammation, has for two years now, and the Rheumatologist has started Plaquinel. My RF factor is negative, but have symptoms. Will be having additional blood work in February to look deeper into blood cells etc. It’s crazy how things happen in our bodies. Good luck everyone

I have been dealing with a very fast moving RA within the last 3-4 years. I can’t tell you how much this site has at least given me hope that what I have been telling my RA doctor about my symptoms is real. Why do RA doctors seem to just blow off what you tell them? There are so many symptoms to this disease. I am no longer working now recently because of my condition.